Michael Ashby, the little boy who once strolled along riverbanks in Diego Martin searching for clay to mold into ornaments for old ladies, is now a man who roams even the Paria forest, seeking whatever material is necessary to produce his pieces.

Only, he can no longer run through the bushes nor stroll near a river.

Three years ago, both his legs were amputated. Ashby now uses a wheelchair.

"If I have to reach to the top of that to get something," said Ashby, indicating a dump truck parked at the side of the road, "I will get it."

In the days when television programmes were aired only in black and white, he was well known for his participation in Joy of Craft, a programme hosted by Lucia Farrell. Later on he was Uncle Mike on Rikki Tikki.

The position he now holds as handicraft development officer at the Ministry of Social and Community Development was created by the late Dr Eric Williams for the late masman George Bailey. Thirty-two years ago, it was given to Ashby.

Although the standard of his work was enhanced after he studied furniture making in the 1980s, craft-work is Ashby's hobby and comes naturally to him.

He travels to practically every corner of the country and teaches anyone who is willing to learn how to make ornaments and other useful items out of clay, metal, aluminum, leaves, corn-curl packs - absolutely anything.

He uses over 2,000 different types of material.

"I do not know what I can and cannot do," Ashby said. He just gets ideas and starts working. In the end, he sometimes surprises himself.

The 56-year-old bachelor has much in store for this year's Christmas.

Corn-curls wrappers will be turned inside out, cut and folded into little balls, which can be used as decorations on Christmas trees. Discarded aluminum sheets will be picked up from various printers and used to make wall plaques. Tin cans will be stretched and beaten until they too can be shaped into something beautiful.

Ashby also teaches people to do batik, tie-dye and sewing.

In his capacity as a public servant, Ashby is sometimes called upon to live in the village where he is teaching.

He gets to know his students' needs by becoming one of them, a barebacked limer if necessary. This, he said, helps them to relax and makes teaching easier.

"It's love," he said. "Work is love made visible. And as long as I give of my knowledge, more comes in."

So he keeps giving. Wherever or whenever he is called upon to give. "I only use indigenous material," he continued. "I use craft to teach economic laws."

This Christmas, he wants to devote much of his time to single mothers. He aims at making them "economically independent" by teaching them his skills.

Ashby's love extends to agriculture. He describes himself as an environmental activist and takes no more than is necessary from the earth.

But the willing and zealous giver has one wish.

He wants to dance again.

A pair of "intelligent legs" is what it will take for his wish to come true.

He saw the computerised legs, which are manufactured in Japan, featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show some time ago, and since then Ashby has been trying to get more information about their availability.

"I'm afraid to ask the cost," he joked.

But legs or no legs, Ashby will continue to work for the benefit of others, he said, "until the earth claims the rest of my limbs."